By Jimmy Allinder
It’s been said many times before and it’s still true today: titles are won when individuals play as a team.
For that reason, the East Brunswick High School girls’ volleyball team (24-2) is the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) champion.
“We have a strong group with excellent leadership,” third-year head coach Christian Portera said. “But in my experience, no one player can win a volleyball match, and that was certainly true in the finals.”
The championship match was held at J.P. Stevens High School Oct. 29 when the Bears defeated Colonia High School, 2-1 (21-25, 25-19 and 25-15). East Brunswick (eighth seed) hoped to continue its tournament success when it met 25th-seeded West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South Nov. 2 in an NJSIAA Group IV first-round match.
If the Bears prevailed, they will host the winner of the meeting between ninth-seeded Rancocas Valley Regional High School and 24th-seeded Montgomery High School Nov. 4.
The clash between the Bears and Patriots wasn’t surprising since East Brunswick was the top-seeded team and Colonia (21-3) received the second seed. Both teams boasted the best overall records in the GMC and split matches during the regular season, with East Brunswick prevailing in the first encounter, 2-1 (25-15, 15-25) and the Patriots winning the second match, 2-0 (25-19, 25-10). Defending champion Monroe Township High School (19-5) loomed as a dangerous opponent; however, the Falcons were eliminated by East Brunswick in the semifinals, 2-0 (25-22, 25-19).
East Brunswick knew it was in for another tough match after Colonia captured the first set.
“I thought we controlled the flow of the set up until point 18, but Colonia took control then and closed it out,” Portera said. “However, after some motivational words and reassuring the girls they had it in them to bounce back, we fought hard to win set two.”
The third and decisive set was a clear demonstration why playing together is how volleyball matches are won.
“We served well, passed well, hit well, played great defense and stuck together,” Portero said. “Combine those elements, and it’s not hard to understand why we prevailed.”
The third-year coach pointed to important contributions from junior Jordyn Horowitz, who leads the team in kills (244) and racked up 18 in the second and third sets. In addition, senior Beth Anania, libero and captain, was outstanding on defense, with 11 digs to add to the 125 she has on the season. She also executed strong passes to her teammates when Colonia served. Junior Kayla Benez is the team leader in assists with 169.
“Even though we dropped the first set, we kept up the pressure, and that enabled us to pull ahead,” Portero said. “Confidence and momentum are important elements in these kinds of matches, and our opponent couldn’t overcome that.”
Monroe was also in action in the Group IV tournament. The Falcons (18th seed) visited Cherokee High School (15th seed) Nov. 2 in a first-round match.
